Monday, July 2, 2012

Creatively Thrifting

A year ago, I would not imagine myself completely addicted to thrifting. But, here we are...I love finding deals. I love finding homes for discarded items and I love thinking outside the box for these items. Most of the time, the items I locate require some work with paint, cleaners, re-working, etc. Every now and then, the thrifting angels smile upon me and it is only a matter of making it happen.

This weekend my mother, a friend and myself set out for thrifting following my triangulation scheme of preferred stores. At Goodwill, I located some iron items that seemed fit for my Tuscan inspired dining area.

I currently have a beautiful, large mirror from my great-grandmother's house in the dining room, but some adornment would work wonders. Some beautiful ironwork would be a great offset to the gold, but can be pricey.

As luck would have it...there were some plant holders in iron for $3 a piece at Goodwill. Also, nearby I located some iron candle holders that I envisioned to round out the look of my adornments. These were $2 each. So, my thoughts take me to getting a great look for $10 without additional work.

I cleaned the pieces up with soap and water and got to making my vision happen. The cashier at Goodwill informed me the pieces were for plants. I told her I needed them for wall decor. She stared at me a moment and then said, "Well, if you are creative, that could work." The gauntlet was thrown down in that moment!

Votives are the missing element here. I picked up 6 for .50 each at Walmart. They did not fit quite right and I have another candle piece with Amber votives that work perfect. I traded the amber votives from the other piece with the new votives from Walmart. Voila! There is light and ambience that matches the intended look.

I love putting my own touch on the items as I redress my house, but sometimes it is nice when they just fall into place. A little creativity and this wall is complete. I can't believe anyone wanted to just use the top pieces as plant holders. I was shocked those were the purpose as I only saw them in the space as decor.

To each their own. As long as you follow whatever may be "your own" there will be success in your endeavors.

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